


When the Villains Fall [Sonic Forces]

by orphan_account



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Sonic Forces, aneya the jackal, annie the jackal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-16 22:01:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13645308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: "When the villains fall, the kingdoms never weep."Captivated by power and with a hatred fueled by the loss of his squad, the masked villain known only to most as "Infinite" has turned the world upside down.  With the power of the Phantom Ruby--and it's influence over him--growing stronger every second, the greatest heroes have fallen victim to his rage...and despair reigns supreme in the twisted reality he's created.But where there is darkness, there will come light to rise against it.  Even as hope fades for the world below, an unlikely force begins to form among the cold and shadows of the prison above.  A fallen hero and a broken survivor find themselves linked in a battle for freedom and endurance, determined to break free and restore life to their dying home.You know the ending.  You've seen the outcome.  But hidden behind it all is an untold tale of faith and courage, where the forgotten must choose to play their part...or die trying.





	When the Villains Fall [Sonic Forces]

"We did it...we won!”  
  
“I can’t believe it!”  
  
The murmurs gathered into cheers, piercing the veil of fear that once lay over the crowd.  They’d done it.  The villains were defeated, the heroes victorious.  Sunlight, bright but gentle, filtered through the clouds of dust and smoke, as clear a sign of any that hope had triumphed over all.  
  
And Infinite…  
  
You could see it in the girl's face, reflecting an eerie sort of pulse in the air.  Power.   _His_  power.  Fading.  Fading but  _fighting_ , though for what it wasn’t clear.   Then nothing. And that was all, giving her an ache in her chest and a sense of overwhelming dread.  Everything that had transpired--every escape, every battle--it was all  scattered, like a blurred dream whose pieces refused to align.    
  
No one spared the jackal a glance as she walked towards the tower, tail sweeping over the earth and leaving not so much as a line in the dust.  The flames that blazed over the horizon filled her with a fire of her own, a rage that flared in her eyes as her mouth curled in a snarl.  This world was their home.  A home he had sworn to fight for, so long as she stood by his side.   
  
And then suddenly, that wasn’t enough.  He needed more--needed power--and one by one, his promises had fallen like the victims he’d claimed.  
  
This was his fault.  All the lives lost. All the dreams scorched and withered by his hand.   
  
Why should she mourn?    
  
The cheering, though growing faint as the distance between them grew, only fueled her rage.  It was what he deserved, after all.  No tears.  No heartache.  Just joy.  Pure, unrelenting joy that the nightmare was over.  
  
Her stride widened into a sprint, teeth bared as rain began to fall.  The crumbling silhouette of the tower rose before her and cast ominous shadows on the earth, a blatant reminder of all that the world had lost.  
  
_How could you do this?_  
  
The thought echoed in every drop of silvery rain that leaked through the twisted metal as she raced inside.    
  
_We were a team._  
  
She dodged past debris, breath coming in ragged gasps and eyes stinging with tears.    
  
_We were a **family.**_  
  
Her tail lashed behind her, ears pulled to the sides of her head as she ran.  What did it matter what she found?  He had taken his life and thrown it away, dragging countless others down with him.  Pain was what he had wrought and pain was what he deserved.    
  
But it never had to be like this.  Despite his best claims, the choice he’d made had never been for them.  Had never been to save their lives.  No, that decision was for no one but himself.  And now…  
  
Now they were gone.  
  
_You…_  
  
She was almost to the center, the damage growing greater every second, and the fire in her eyes with it.  
  
_You…_  
  
The core came into view, a mad tangle of fire and electricity, and she could hold the accusation in no longer.  
  
_“MONSTER!!”_  she screeched, the words lingering in the air as she fell to her knees.  The currents, blue and pink and flaring with light, seemed to blaze all the brighter with her cry….and there it was, flickering just within her reach--the symbol of all he’d chosen to become.  
  
The beginning of his end.  
  
She couldn’t move, gaze locked on the mask as the rage in her eyes melted away.  With a trembling hand she reached out and pulled it close, blinking away the flood of tears that threatened to engulf her.    
  
“You were weak…” she whispered, looking into its eyes as if they were his own.  All the magic...it wasn’t enough to hide that reality.  He hadn’t been able to resist.  Hadn’t been strong enough to stand against the temptations that the whispers of power had promised.  
  
The air seemed to quiver in a flurry of rage and regret, spurred by a claim it could not allow to persist.  And with a hushed breath and trembling smile, she let it silence the words.  Let it steal the final shards of truth that had given her heart...  
  
Then gave in to the illusion of life.


End file.
